Morphological and molecular characterisation of Mulveyellus aizawlensis sp. n. (Nematoda: Iotonchinae) from Aizawl, Mizoram, India

Analysis of a soil sample from Aizawl district of Mizoram, India, led to the discovery of Mulveyellus aizawlensis sp. n. The new species is presented with female morphological data and molecular data of the D2-D3 expansion segment of 28S and 18S of rDNA, and phylogenetic analysis data based on these sequences. Mulveyellus aizawlensis sp. n. is morphologically characterised by a ventrally arcuate female body, presence of minute transverse striations on cuticle, a barrel-shaped buccal cavity, a dorsal tooth at anterior half of the buccal cavity, toothless subventral wall, distinct cup-shaped amphids located at the level of the dorsal tooth, a tuberculate pharyngo-intestinal junction, bean-shaped pars refrigens vaginae, a didelphic-amphidelphic reproductive system, a conoid ventrally-arcuate tail, and absence of caudal glands and spinneret. This study presents molecular data of the genus Mulveyellus for the first time and revealed a close phylogenetic relationship of this genus with Prionchulus.